The covers of Rosa's two books.
Huron resident Emilia Rosa is the author of two published books,
Finding Cristina and its sequel,
Finding Cristina: A New Life. The Helm had the chance to talk to Rosa about her writing career and how she transitioned from a model in Brazil to an author in Ohio.
You were born in the U.S., but how did your family end up here from Brazil?
My father was studying at Stanford and brought my family here. They loved living here. I saw many pictures and movies of their life while here. That probably made me yearn to live in the U.S.
How did you transition from being a fashion model to a writer?
Writing poetry; I guess it was just a natural transition. I thought, why not incorporate a little bit of the fluidity, the color and imagery of poetry in a novel? And, well,
Cristina was born!
Why did you choose the topics of the books you wrote? And is it stopping after the third?
I sincerely don't know how the story
came to me. I first conceived the two main characters and knew the end. I wanted it to take place in Rio de Janeiro; it is a beautiful city and I knew I would enjoy describing it. Rio is a city I know well, although I did some research for historical accuracy. I love the past, so that was a given. I wanted to incorporate the Copacabana Palace, a luxury hotel in Copacabana, that was finished in the early 1920s. I have a vague idea for a fourth “Cristina” novel, but am not sure yet. I have two other novels I want to write. One in Ancient Egypt—my passion—during the reign of Hatshepsut, the woman pharaoh. The other might be a collection of short stories, but modern. I love writing, so I don’t think I’ll ever stop.
Why did you choose Ohio? And what do I like about this part of Ohio?
My husband was born and has lived his whole life in Sandusky, and I was living in the U.S. for just a couple of years. So when we married we decided to stay here. I lived in big and small cities in Brazil and prefer smaller towns. Brazilians are laid back, too much for my taste. I prefer the American way, which is quite different.
To learn more about Rosa, follow her on
Facebook,
Instagram,
Twitter or
Goodreads.
Book Series in Order: EMILIA ROSA